1. Field
The following description relates to an apparatus and a method of measuring bioinformation and to a technology for extracting cardiovascular features of a user by analyzing pulse wave signals.
2. Description of Related Art
Representative examples of noninvasive techniques for extracting cardiovascular features of a user without using a blood pressure cuff include a pulse wave analysis (PWA) method and a pulse wave velocity (PWV) method. A PWA method refers to a method in which cardiovascular features of a user is obtained by analyzing a shape of a pulse wave signal measured from a distal end of a body, such as a fingertip. The blood ejected from a left ventricle during a cardiac contraction is partially reflected at locations where large branches such as a renal artery or an infrarenal aorta branch off, and the reflection affects a shape of a pulse wave signal measured at a distal end of the body. Thus, the cardiovascular features of a user may be derived by analyzing the shape of the pulse waveform measured at the distal end. A PWV method, on the other hand, refers to a method in which cardiovascular features of a user is obtained by measuring a pulse wave velocity. A PWV method may include measuring an electrocardiogram (ECG) at a location close to a heart and a pulse wave at a distal end of a body, such as a fingertip, and estimating a user's cardiovascular features based on a delay time between the ECG signal and the pulse wave signal.